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Ghazghkull Thraka
thumb|264px|El Kaudillo Ghazghkull se enfrenta a su archienemigo, el [[Comisario Yarrick.]]El Kaudillo Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka es el más peligroso de los líderes Orkos y cuenta con gran instinto y habilidad. Ghazghkull ha azotado el Imperio durante décadas y su credo apocalíptico ha lanzado a incontables millones de belicosos Orkos a la batalla contra las fuerzas del Emperador. Este gran Kaudillo tiene una especial rivalidad con el Comisario humano Yarrick. Historia Orígenes Ascenso al poder En el límite del Segmentum Solar descansa un ahora congelado orbe que una vez fue esporádicamente poblado planeta orko de Urk. Su historia ha sido ya ampliamente olvidada, enterrada entre invasiones sucesivas, pero en primer momento fue llamado Urokleas, después de que fuese colonizado por una flota de exploración enviada desde Terra durante la Edad Oscura de la Tecnología. Era parte de el Sistema Zorniano y el tejido de las Disformidad fluía con fuerza en ese punto convirtiéndolo en un excelente centro de conexión. La Humanidad prosperó en Urokleas, dado que era un mundo rico en minerales, y en unos pocos cientos de años las colonias se habían convertido en ciudades bulliciosas. Fueron, indudablemente, las luces y la actividad lo que atrajo a los Orkos. Los Pielesverdes barrieron Urokleas como un reguero de pólvora. Lo arrasaron hasta el fondo antes de desaparecer a bordo de su gran flota de deshechos, utilizando los tejidos de la Disformidad para buscar otros asentamientos; aunque, sin quererlo, dejaron esporas que pasaron inadvertidas, las cuales algún día se alzarían como Orkos. Debido a las fluctuaciones de la disformes, era inevitable que las razas espaciales encontrasen de nuevo el habitable Sistema Zorniano. Entre períodos estériles, el mundo se convirtió en un puesto avanzado Eldar, el hogar de una cápsula de Spinedorianos, y una madriguera Hrud. A veces, las esporas orkas durmientes, erupcionaban y enjambres de Pielesverdes se desplegarían en alguna esquina reservada del planeta. No fue hasta tiempos de la Gran Cruzada que la Humanidad volvió con fuerza. Fue la Legión de Marines Espaciales de los Ángeles Oscuros la que limpió el planeta de sus formas de vida y volvió a plantar la bandera de la Humanidad sobre el. Una vez más, el planeta fue nombrado Urokleas. Por dos mil años, la humanidad minó ahí, construyeron Ciudades Colmena, y establecían puertos espaciales en sus lunas gemelas. Pequeños asaltos xenos tenían lugar, pero no fue hasta la mitad del M32 que un gran Waaagh! arrasó el Sistema. Fue el mayor ataque orko registrado por eI Imperio, con docenas de invasiones arrasando a su paso por todos los Segmentum. Pronto el Sistema Zorniano cayó en manos orkas. Como Urokleas fue arrasado por los Pielesverdes, los últimos supervivientes de ese mundo subieron a bordo de un vasto carguero estelar Dominio y escaparon por la repentinamente cambiante Disformidad. Las corrientes disformes fueron alteradas, haciendo que el sistema Zorniano no fuese fácilmente accesible. Así es como empezó un largo período de estancamiento para los Orkos. Durante casi ochocientos años, Urokleas, rebautizado como Urk, fue un campo de batalla para las belicosas tribus orkas. Al principio lucharon sobre las ruinas de las Ciudades Colmena, combatiendo por el mejor saqueo. Estas batallas se terminaron, al igual que los montones de botín que encontraban. Conforme el milenio acababa, las guerras continuaron. Ningún líder pudo prometer suficiente como para unificar a los klanez, así que un equilibrio de miseria se convirtió en la forma de vida. Pequeñas bandas de orkos luchaban entre ellos por la posesión de montones de chatarra y maquinaria estropeada, siempre cambiando de dueño. Fue en este círculo de violencia fútil cuando Ghazghkull nació. Un extraño camino a la grandeza En un curioso giro del destino, el Imperio de la Humanidad probablemente tuvo la culpa de crear el Orko más formidable de su era, y probablemente de todos los tiempos. Después de muchos años combatiendo a los Orkos y monitorizando su presencia en los Sistemas periféricos, el Imperio ha aprendido que, bajo las condiciones específicas, incluso las poblaciones esporádicas de Orkos pueden multiplicarse a una velocidad alarmante. El alzamiento de un Kaudillo fuerte podría unir a los clanes en disputa, desencadenando una suelta masiva de esporas. Si esa unión creciera lo suficiente, podría actuar como una baliza a los Orkos de planetas cercanos; provocando una migración en enjambre que crezca con una intensidad espantosa. En menos de una década terrana, los Orkos podrían pasar de ser un fastidio eventual a la especie dominante de un planeta. El Imperio ha descubierto a lo largo de los milenios que si un Waaagh! en crecimiento puede ser detenido lo suficientemente pronto, los Orkos podrían ser eliminados y dispersados a un coste mínimo. Así, en Sistemas conocidos por estar plagados de Pielesverdes, se despliegan varios puestos vigía. En el Sistema Zorniano los Ángeles Oscuros habían establecido una serie de estaciones de monitoreo coordinadas por un santuario de combate en una estéril región montañosa de Urk. Esta estructura les administraba registros y otras informaciones rutinariamente a los navíos de los Ángeles Oscuros. Así pues, el número de Pielesverdes era chequeado regularmente y de paso este Capítulo podía seguir la pista a las feroces poblaciones humanas de ese Sistema –ya que para ellos es fundamental buscar nuevos planetas de reclutamiento para sus novicios-. Irónicamente, fue en esta estación tan monitorizada donde Ghazghkull empezó su camino a la grandeza.thumb|387x387px|left|El Matazanoz Loko Grotsnik.El mocoso guerrero que era Ghazghkull por entonces formaba parte de una peña Goff que tomó parte en una incursión contra el santuario de combate de los Marines Espaciales. A pesar de que estaba perdido en una remota montaña de Urk, no estaba a salvo de los Orkos. En una continua búsqueda de chatarra, los Pielesverdes descubrieron esta base oculta y procedieron a desmantelarla, activando los sistemas de autodefensa de la base. Durante el asalto inicial para reclamar la estructura, Ghazghkull fue golpeado en la cabeza por un proyectil de bólter, un disparo que pulverizó buena parte de su cráneo y una parte considerable de su cerebro se convirtió en papilla. Era muy posible que el joven y sangrante Ghazghkull hubiera sido dado por muerto allí y entonces salvo por dos circunstancias. Volvió por su propio pie, un signo de fortaleza y valor que cualquier Goff respetaría. Por otro lado, era ampliamente conocido que un Matazanoz Kráneoz de Muerte particularmente demente estaba pagando a aquellos que le trajesen material fresco para trabajar. Los pájaros carroñeros no se alimentaron de Ghazghkull ese día, y fue su propia peña la que lo guió hacia adelante. Iba trastabillando y hecho una ruina, tanto que tuvo que coger su sangrante cerebro con sus manos, pero finalmente encontraron el puesto avanzado de los Cráneos de Muerte de Rustspike. Allí, su propia peña cambió Ghazghkull al Matazanoz Loko Grotsnik por la suma total de tres piñoz y una nueva Rebanadora. Las grandes visiones verdes Ghazghkull salió de su confusión mental inmediatamente después de que Loko Grotsnik realizó su operación. Ese despertar fue una sorpresa para ambas partes: el Matazanoz había reemplazado parte del cerebro y del cráneo del guerrero Goff por órganos biónicos, cables y tendones artificiales; todo ello sostenido por unas placas de adamantium. Aunque la supervivencia del joven Orko no era la única sorpresa. Ghazghkull pudo ver mejor y más claramente que nunca. Esto fue en parte gracias a su nuevo ojo biónico – que afortunadamente con anterioridad había sido parte de una mirilla– . Por primera vez en su corta vida Ghazghkull se levanto con una nueva visión. Era su destino guiar a toda la Orkidad en el más grande y mejor Whaaagh! de todos los tiempos. Despertó con la creencia que ahora estaba en contacto directo con Gorko y Morko, los grandes dioses de los Orkos, y Ghazghkull había sido elegido para realizar sus deseos divinos. Ellos le quisieron a él para dirigir las mejores batallas del universo. El primero en caer bajo Ghazghkull fue el Kaudillo de los Kráneoz de Muerte, Dregmek. Ghazghkull acababa de salir de la mugrienta tienda del matazanoz Grotsnikt y continuaba rascándose lo que antes era su cabeza -ahora una plancha de adamantium- cuando Dregmek apareció. A grandes zancadas había bajado la calle entre las tiendas del centro de el poblado de los Kráneoz de Muerte, Dregmek maldijo al saber que un Goff había aparecido por los limites de Rustspike. Detrás de Dregmek, su séquito de Noblez soltó una carcajada, anticipando un poco de "deporte". Impávido por la enorme cantidad de kombi-armas que el Kaudillo de los Kráneoz de Muerte estaba apuntando en su dirección, Ghazghkull avanzó, con los puños apretados. Dregmek, esperando exactamente un tipo de cosa asi proviniente de un Goff, abrió fuego. Cada cañon de sus armas kustomizadaz empezó a disparar –el aire estaba cargado de proyectiles volando y los destellos de media docena de armas escupiendo fuego. Posiblemente fue una señal de Gorko (o posiblemente de Morko), un golpe de intervención divina para salvar a su profeta, a pesar de que los casquillos llenaban el suelo y su cuerpo estaba cosido de balas, Ghazghkull avanzó intocable. El único sonido que había era el de los cartuchos gastados golpeando contra el suelo, el zumbido sordo de las armas buscando munición en los cargadores vacíos, unos cuantos clicks que anunciaban que no quedaba munición, la pesada banda de rodadura de las botas de hierro y, finalmente, un chillido oxidado de la mandíbula de hierro de Dregmek. Tan salvaje fue la paliza que Ghazghkull le dio con sus manos desnudas que los Noblez de Dregmek vitorearon a su pesar. El choque de cabezas, gracias al cráneo recién blindado de Ghazghkull, terminó el trabajo con un resonante sonido metálico. Poniéndose encima de el cuerpo hecho pulpa de su enemigo, Ghazghkull anunció que esto era solo el principio. Bramó a la enorme multitud que era el profeta de Gorko y Morko, y lo que es más, su profunda voz rugió que si alguno buscaba algo de devastación, ya tenían nuevo Kaudillo, así que podían dar un paso adelante para asaltar, a él no le importaba. Después de una hora peleando, en una batalla en la que Ghazghkull no se hizo más que un rasguño, había asumido el cargo de dirigente de Rustspike de forma justa. Aunque era difícil ver mucho con sus magulladas y aporreadas caras, los nuevos seguidores de Ghazghkull habían visto que aparentemente Ghazghkull había crecido físicamente tras la pelea por el liderazgo. Urk unido. Debido a la ruptura de la tribus en la búsqueda de una nueva fortaleza, Ghazghkull comenzó a aumentar su horda. Como añadido a los Kráneoz de Muerte que habian seguido a Ghazhkull, ahora contaban con unos cuantos noblez Goff bajo el mando del joven kaudillo. Como las historias sobre las andanzas de Ghazghkull circularon por los pobladoz y fortalezas de chatarra de Urk, los orkos comenzaron a abandonar sus tribus y a dirigirse a Rustspike, buscando algo mayor que sus tristes y pequeñas bandas, luchando siempre por las mismas pilas de chatarra. Ellos deseaban ir a la guerra con su nuevo jefe, que decía ser reclamado por Gorko y Morko, quienes afirmaban que algún día encontrarían mejores objetivos con los que combatir. Mientras, Rustspike creció tanto que era imposible escupir al cielo y que diera en el suelo, asi que Ghazghkull fue hacia el este. Era una de las agruietadas llanuras de Da Big Wasteland donde Ghazghkull conoció su primer revés.Acababa de entrar en el territorio de Loz Lunaz Malvadaz, el más rico y envidiado clan de la zona. Loz Lunaz Malvadaz liderados por el kaudillo Snazzdakka, y ninguno puedo igualar el conjunto de potencia de fuego y movilidad que era su Battlewagon amarillo les brindaba. Cuando Snazzdakka vio las hordas de Ghazghkull marchando a través de sus tierras, ordenó que se levantara el tótem de guerra y las tiendas cayeron, más rápido que un Runtherd podría estrangular a un díscolo grot, la tribu ya estaba en movimiento. En las rápidas escaramuzas que siguientes, Snazzdakka y sus chicoz siempre podían dispara unos cuantos cartuchos en las hordas de Ghazghkull y conducir lejos antes de que llegaran las represalias. Ghazghkull ya había probado sus superiores habilidades en pelea, contundentemente sobre los que se atrevían a desafiarle. Ahora, sin embargo, se veía atraído por los planes y tácticas de batalla. Aquí también, el prometedor y capaz jefe de guerra mostraría no solo su superioridad, pero el tipo de brutal teatralidad que hace que los orkos eleven sus puños hacia el cielo y que comiencen los estridentes vitoreos. En aquellos días, Ghazghkull soltó un número de contramedidas – cualquiera de ellas habría sido demadido difícil de superar para los Lunaz Malvadaz. Había saboteado el suministro de munición que Snazzdakka reabastecía con sus kamionez. Ghazghkull then gauged the wind and ordered several shantytowns put to the flame. El humo acre y espeso se elevó por encima de las agrietadas llanuras, escondiendo el paradero exacto de los movimientos de sus tropas y haciendo imposible para Loz Lunaz Malvadaz huir antes de que la infantería de Ghazghkull estubiese justo delante de ellos. Más impresionante, Ghazghkull había coaccionado al orko más rápido de Urk para unirse a él fuera de las carreras en un duelo uno contra uno de velocidad. Todos los espectadores estaban de acuerdo en que sólo la divinidad de Gorko y Morko habían hecho posible que el Kaudillo Goff hubiese vencido al gran Shazfrag de Loz Solez Malvadoz. Each and every one of Ghazghkull’s tactics worked, wearing down the Bad Moons so that their defeat was inevitable. As the humbled Snazzdakka watched, Ghazghkull ordered the Bad Moon Meks to fashion an enormous power klaw from the rubble of their ruined tanks. So did all the Bad Moons on the planet fall into line. So large had Ghazghkull’s horde grown that no warband on Urk could hope to stand before his sweeping onslaught. Only the foolish or the stubborn even attempted to stand apart from the meteoric rise of this great greenskin champion. One such stubborn fool was Snakebite Warboss Grudbolg. It took a long, bloody week to subdue the Snakebites under Grudbolg, and Ghazghkull was forced to decapitate the scarred old monster twice before finally winning his loyalty. When challenged to a headbutting contest by the hulking Goff champion, Ugrak, Ghazghkull was like a piledriver, sinking his foe a full foot into the ground and knocking him unconscious. Ugrak’s Nobz mob was so stunned that their undefeated leader had lost that they did not see Ghazghkull striding towards them. In a fury, Ghazghkull worked his way through the Nobz, leaving each senseless. When the heads of Ugrak and his Nobz finally cleared, they quite sensibly pledged eternal allegiance to Ghazghkull. Battles of attrition had raged across the surface of Urk for nearly eight thousand years, with small tribes continually rising and falling, each time battering themselves and those around them into submission. No great leader had ever emerged from the endless cycle; over all that time, none could unite the tribes. Until now… The flickering finger of fate It took six years for Ghazghkull to fully subjugate Urk. Now grown larger than any Warlord ever seen on the planet, he basked in his domination. Inspired by the spirits of the rising Waaagh! and Ghazghkull’s impassioned speeches about conquering the stars, the Orks swarmed about the planet’s surface in a flurry of activity. A smattering of ramshackle ships begin to arrive, as Orks from across the Zornian System felt the siren call and hastened to join. For the first time, groups of Meks worked together, building in ways never contemplated before. Never before had they been able to mass their squalid resources, but now all of the scrapheaps were as one. Crazed energies flowed as they cobbled together vast battle fortresses, new weapons and towering engines of destruction. All of Urk’s greenskins moved with a sense of destiny, an overwhelming realisation of their duty, their very purpose for being – and then the sun flickered. All the greenskins looked up at the suddenly dimmed sun that had always lit the planet of Urk. All save Ghazghkull himself were cowed. The superstitious Orks dropped their weapons and spanners and stared upwards, slack-jawed in wonder at the celestial phenomenon. The sun flared, blazed – and once more, its rays blinked. In his booming voice, Ghazghkull assured the quavering greenskins that this was a sign from Gork and Mork. It was telling them that it was time to leave Urk behind, that it was time for the galaxy to feel the might of the growing Waaagh!. Even as the Warlord spoke, a lone beam of green-tinted light illuminated the Prophet of the Great Green Gods. He told his followers to stockpile all the arms and ammunition they could, for they were leaving within the week. As there were few operating aircraft upon Urk, and the Meks had only just started to construct more, some greenskins wondered how this might happen. A single glare from Ghazghkull, however, was enough to silence their questions and instil in them, if not confidence, then at least a fear of asking how any such thing might be accomplished. The next day brought no dawn. In this case, however, it was nothing to do with the strange behaviour of Urk’s sun. The Warp currents had changed again, reverting to patterns similar to those of ages ago. As the tides of the Warp roiled and twisted, they had also deposited an enormous space hulk into realspace, vomiting forth the conglomerate craft in the Zornian System. The hulk now drifted in Urk’s orbit, blocking out the light from the flickering sun. As solar flares and radiation storms wafted from Urk’s tortured sun, Ghazghkull turned to his Meks and bade them secure the space hulk using super-heavy traktor kannons. A few of the available spacecraft were equipped with harpoon rockets, and they fired these off to tether the colossal space hulk to one of Urk’s twin moons. For the moment, the space hulk was pinned – but all knew it would not be so for long. Under Ghazghkull’s orders, the remaining Orks rushed to assist the Meks. They worked non-stop to craft as many crude transport ships as they could. There were perhaps one hundred constructions worthy of being called ships, while other craft were built to complete only a single journey. There were many hundreds of these crude rockets, each incapable of being steered, each with Orks and equipment wedged into every hold and crawlspace. Boarding the largest of this crude fleet, Ghazghkull led the great exodus from the planet to seize the space hulk. With exhaust flashes and more than their share of premature detonations and mid-air collisions, the departing craft filled the sky. Some ships struck the space hulk’s outer decks and detonated to blow gaping holes into the superstructure. A few rockets ploughed deep into the hulk to deposit their Ork cargo, while the most sturdily constructed ships actually had the wherewithal to fly about the vast space hulk to seek out landing sites – or, at the least, to enter the vast hulk through the massive holes blown into it by the less fortunate rockets. Alas, as is so often the case, the space hulk was not unoccupied. As soon as the first wave of Orks landed they were attacked by daemonic entities. Burna Boyz, cutting their way through bulkheads, had to suddenly shift from slicing metal to defending themselves against a tide of Daemons. Gouts of dirty orange flame were met in kind by arcane blue jets, as the Burna Boyz traded scorching death with prancing Pink Horrors. Before their ships had even settled, Speed Freeks launched themselves from cargo ramps, racing down cavernous corridors, guns blazing. Less than half of the Ork spacecraft were able to lift off once again, but these disengaged in order to go back to Urk’s surface to ferry more greenskins into the battle. The fighting took weeks, during which time billions of greenskins were airlifted off Urk to join the fray. Ghazghkull himself led the spearhead that fought its way to the centre of the space hulk. There, at the black heart of the jumbled amalgamation, was an ancient craft – none other than the vast star freighter Dominion. After leaving Urk – then called Urokleas – to escape the Ork attack, the craft became lost in the Warp, its terrified human cargo attracting the horrific creatures that dwelled there. The Dominion had returned home, but where its Warp engines had once been located there was now a huge Warp rift – a darksome hole from which the energies of the Immaterium poured forth. Having driven the daemonic hosts before him, Ghazghkull ordered the massed firepower of his entourage to be turned against the tear in reality. To his frustration, this did nothing to it. With a bestial roar, and leaking raw green energy from his reconstructed skull, Ghazghkull charged the rent. To further anger the Warlord, his power klaw proved equally ineffectual and, with an almighty challenge, Ghazghkull unleashed the full thunder of his best headbutt. There was a flash of green, an audible pop, and, at last, the rift collapsed upon itself. Whether it was the force of that blow, or the latent psychic energy within Ghazghkull, it was done, and the Daemon threat ended – at least for a time. The space hulk, which Ghazghkull named Wurld Killa, was now in Ork control. Just as super-heated gas clouds swept over Urk, Wurld Killa shifted back into the Warp. Segunda Guerra de Armageddon Warp journey of wurld killa How long Ghazghkull and his followers drifted in the Warp is not known. Time passes strangely there, and Orks keep no records. They explored the bounds of the vast space hulk, finding strange technology – ancient machines from Humanity’s lost past and other apparatus beyond their comprehension. For some, especially the Deathskulls, this meandering search including nicking everything not bolted down. As they worked alongside Burna Boyz whose arc-welders cut through metal, the Orks were able to appropriate everything, no matter how well fastened it was. On Ghazghkull’s command, many Meks began working on a force field projector. Meanwhile, competing warbands fought to gather scrap and minor wars broke out over salvage rights. This rivalry kept tensions at just the right level to prevent the volatile Orks from growing too bored. Sheets of iron decking were reworked into Battlewagons, used to ‘plate up’ Stompas, or beaten into crude body armour to outfit Nobz. In the mad furore to claim metal, several warbands were swept into the Warp when they overstretched their boundaries and cut away sections of the space hulk’s outermost walls. It was this kind of foolishness that allowed Warp entities to re-enter Wurld Killa. Several more daemonic incursions plagued the journey, and Ghazghkull had to drive out the worst of these Warp offensives personally. With vicious battles breaking out across the space hulk, there was an abundance of violent Waaagh! energy, and the Orks thrived and multiplied. Soon, every cranny of the craft was bursting with more greenskins. Everywhere, swarms of grots scurried; the halls rang to the sound of chants, shoota blasts, and the commands of the ever-busy Meks. Gradually, the Daemon tides ebbed; the jubilant Orks were beginning to get restless when sudden jolts alerted all that the lumbering space hulk was slowing down. With gut-lurching suddenness, Wurld Killa ripped back into realspace. What had been an empty void was now filled with the massive space hulk. Aboard the sprawling vessel, klaxons blared and Ghazghkull’s voice boomed out of speakers and down corridors, telling all to prepare for battle. Like a tidal wave, the momentum of Wurld Killa sent the space hulk crashing forward. It smashed aside defence stations while panicked picket-ships accelerated to get out of the path of the hurtling wall of space junk. The Orks had emerged at the edge of a star system vital to the Imperium, heading straight for the core planet. Before them sprawled the immensity that was Armageddon – an industrial giant of Mankind’s realm. The planet lay roughly ten thousand light years to the galactic northeast of Terra. It was a vital node of navigational channels, and its countless manufactorums supplied munitions to Astra Militarum regiments throughout the sector and beyond. No force in the galaxy could now stop Wurld Killa from crash landing onto Armageddon. Guided by his visions, Ghazghkull did not wish to halt his flight; rather, he welcomed the headlong plunge towards the world below. The acceleration built, and he bellowed joyous war cries as the hull blazed with fire and the hulk thundered down from Armageddon’s sky like a scrap-iron avalanche. Up until this point, Ghazghkull had only made a name for himself on Urk – a little known and soon-to-be dead star system. Soon, however, his name would send ripples of fear across hundreds of thousands of worlds. Now, Ghazghkull was on a collision course with greatness. World-shaking arrival Surrounding Imperial fleets, long-ranged missiles and the planet’s orbital defence lasers did their best to stave off the inevitable. Their firepower managed to shear away a few chunks of the oncoming space hulk, but they could not stop the terminal dive of Wurld Killa, nor could they alter its course. Although shorn of a good deal of its mass by the desperate salvoes, the enormous space hulk plunged through Armageddon’s polluted atmosphere to crash-land upon its largest continent, Armageddon Prime. The deep impact of the landing shook the entire world, and its blast wave caused untold devastation. A cloud of debris shrouded the sun. Hundreds of thousands of Orks were instantly immolated by the cataclysmic contact of the landing. Their losses, however, were but a tiny fraction of their number. As the shock faded, a few of the Orks realised that they should all have died in that epic crash. Ghazghkull claimed it was the protection of the gods, although the force field projector absorbing the brunt of that impact doubtlessly helped. Regardless, the Orks roared their approval at being alive after the exhilarating ride. Eager to release their pent-up aggression, they poured out of drop ramps or simply blasted new exit holes through the already torn and rent ruins of the remaining hulls. Ghazghkull divided his followers into five distinct hordes, each under one of his most powerful Warlords. These were leaders Ghazghkull had subdued upon Urk, ferocious Orks that had learned by fighting alongside him. Under the dust storm’s darkness, the towering Waaagh! overlord pointed out the direction each of his sub-commanders should take. With a wave of his power klaw, Ghazghkull launched endless columns of Ork war machines and living seas of infantry. With one voice, many millions bellowed. Victories piled atop victories The defenders of Armageddon were not ready for what hit them. The Astra Militarum and the planetary defence forces of Armageddon may have been well-equipped, but they were wholly unprepared for the waves of violence that swept over their armies. It was clear that the humans underestimated the strategic ability of their foes. They had fought Orks before, but these greenskins were different; this was not some petty Warlord’s formulaic assault – this was Waaagh! Ghazghkull. Although none of his sub-commanders displayed the sheer audacity and cunning of their master, Ghazghkull had beat enough into their skulls about tactics for some of it to stick. They easily overwhelmed the PDF legions that advanced out of the hives to contain them. First, the Orks launched assaults to pin the foe in place on the flat ash wastes, while biker mobs and Battlewagon brigades raced around to encircle their foes, cutting off their supply lines. Then the greenskins tightened the noose. They set up their Mek Gun batteries to pummel the panicked defenders left in the ever-shrinking cauldron. Desperate attempts to break out were met by gunlines. Mercilessly, the Orks mowed down anything that moved, guffawing at the lines of ’umies that advanced to meet only death, aping their final curses as they twitched their last upon the bloodstained ash. With the plains cleared, the Orks advanced on the hive cities and there they were astounded. Built atop sprawling ashblown desert wastes, the hives rose up taller than mountains. These were the great factory-cities of the Imperium, the lifeblood of its non-stop war efforts. This was industrial might on a scale never before seen by the Orks. The Meks gazed at the hives with joy, imagining how they could repurpose such works, what they could build with such colossal hoards of materiel. The fall of hive volcanus The Imperium’s defence of the hives proved more formidable. The Astra Militarum’s numbers were augmented by every regiment available, along with hastily-armed citizens. A long series of trenches and redoubts encircled each vast walled complex. Ghazghkull took one look at Hive Volcanus before vowing boldly that it would fall in two days’ time. Although his hordes were numerous enough to overwhelm the gates, Ghazghkull did not want to waste his strength. He had yet to unleash the full terror of his Gargant Big Mobs, but he thought that prodigious firepower should be saved for when it was truly required. Instead, his plan to take the enormous factory-city reflected his cunning. It was simple, it just needed flawless execution and seamless cooperation – a tall order for a typical Waaagh!-leader, but not so for Ghazghkull. The outer barriers were targeted by Blitz Brigades – armoured wedges of Battlewagons. The first wave bore rams, and it was their duty to break open the outer walls, using their tracks to carry them over the rubble. The second group of attackers followed in the wake of the smoke-churning Ork Battlewagons; these were the mobile infantry – mostly Goff Boyz, with mobs of Burna Boyz amongst them. The third wave was composed of Skorchas – their orders were to drive through the breaches and to clear any defences with sweeping flame. Traktor beams would target the gates as the Battlewagons cleared the last trench. Timed correctly, the loaded wagons would be at top speed just as the doors were ripped off their hinges. Secondary plans included a Stormboyz airdrop and Stompas with wrecking balls opening up holes at strategic points. When the waves of infantry were finally released, they could enter Volcanus at will. The plan worked almost too well. The hive would have fallen in a single day were it not for its fierce resistance. Within the narrow confines of the hive’s underways, desperate humans resorted to all manner of traps and ambushes. Despite their heroics, hundreds of thousands of Orks swept into Hive Volcanus, and its population was massacred or enslaved. After Hive Volcanus was captured, the remaining hives of Armageddon Prime soon followed. Columns of human refugees stretched past the horizon. All of Armageddon Prime lay under the massive metal heel of Ghazghkull. What were once manufactorums were converted to workshops swarming with Orks. Slaves were worked to death stripping their own cities of every scrap of resource that the Meks could use to fuel the greenskin war machine. The Waaagh! proceeded southwards towards the heavily populated continent of Armageddon Secundus. The real battle begins When Armageddon’s Season of Shadows set in – the cyclical time when the planet’s volcanic mountains erupted – the turbulent skies were permanently crimson-hued. To the Orks, this was another sign of their impending victory. To get to Armageddon Secundus the Orks had to cross a swathe of equatorial jungle considered impenetrable by the humans. The foetid swamp region was a morass of mudpits that could submerge armies at a time, and it was filled with ferocious wild beasts. The greenskins revelled in it, attacking the flora and fauna while the Meks erected pontoon bridges or projected force fields across the sinking bogs. By their drive and cobbled ingenuity, the Ork hordes pressed through faster than Imperial armies could march. Infantry, armoured columns, Stompa Mobs and towering Gargants crossed the crude bridges and emerged on the far side of the jungles. Once again the Orks caught the humans unprepared and smashed through their defensive positions. As the Orks raced across the ash deserts towards the hive cities, the towering god-engines and tank companies of Mankind advanced out into the barrens to meet them. From that point on, the battles were more fiercely fought, and Ork casualties began to mount. First was the clash on the parched desert known as the Death Barrens. While the colossal war engines of the Iron Skulls Titan Legion duelled with the Gargants, the massed enemy tanks began to blow great holes in the Ork hordes. The greenskins did not waver, but continued to advance, albeit more slowly, into that thunderous barrage. The energies of the Waaagh! might have been drained then and there were it not for the Dread Mobs. Clanking forward, these iron-plated tank-killers strode through the shellstorm. A land armada of Deff Dreads, Killa Kans and hulking Morkanauts lurched into the enemy armour formations. Explosions lit up the plains as power klaws wrenched off turrets. Buzzsaw arms reached in to savage the exposed crew, and the screams of the eviscerated victims were music to the Orks’ ears. With the foes’ tanks reduced to smoking wreckage, the Stompas and Deff Dreads used their firepower to tip the scales on the evenly matched duel between the Gargants and the Titans. Towering mushroom clouds rose from the destroyed Imperial Titans, and the concussive blasts of their detonations slew many Orks, but when the shockwaves ceased, the green tide flowed over the enormous craters. The bloodiest of sieges The sieges that followed brought the Armageddon war to a new state of savagery. By now the humans knew what lay in store for them, and their resistance stiffened. The Orks sacked Infernus Hive after Blood Axes struck a deal with its corrupt Governor, but they could not break through the great hive cities of Hades or Helsreach. In desperation, the Imperial side launched virus bombs – wicked and proscribed technology from their distant past. Hundreds of thousands of Orks died, but still they pressed on, battering themselves against the hive cities for little gain. With his sub-commanders flummoxed on how to break through, Ghazghkull was forced to direct the assaults himself. Ghazghkull tried many ploys: lightning assaults, feints, overwhelming wave attacks and massed bombardments. Air-dropped Stormboyz attacked from the skies while the sewer tunnels were infiltrated by the craftiest Kommandos. At Helsreach, these stratagems paid off, each offensive advancing more deeply into that seaport hive. With the streets red with blood, Ghazghkull’s final tactic – to gather the Weirdboyz together so their Waaagh!-addled minds blasted forth a psychic storm – worked perfectly. Paralysed by madness, the defenders were overrun. In Hades, each of Ghazghkull’s moves was parried. The Stormboyz were ripped from the skies by anti-aircraft fire, the Kommandos were met by tunnel-fighters in a running battle that stymied the underground advance. Siege engines were sabotaged and suicide teams took down Gargants. The defence of Hades Hive was masterminded by Commissar Yarrick, who was destined to become the most respected ’umie that Waaagh! Ghazghkull ever met. The unexpected counterstrike thumb|360px|Ghazghkull y sus huestes orkasAs Ghazghkull fixated on tearing Hades Hive apart, on his command another Ork army was set to overwhelm the hive city of Acheron. But that was before the sky exploded. Orbital bombardment blasted craters amongst the Ork hordes. Even as they gaped skyward, they saw Thunderhawks peel out of the cloud cover, the roar of their engines audible over the concussive shockwave of their bombing runs. The Space Marines – the finest warriors in the Emperor’s service – had arrived. The Blood Angels, the Ultramarines and the Salamanders attacked, and the Orks tasted the bitterness of crushing defeat for the first time. At that moment, if Ghazghkull had turned his attention to the deteriorating situation, it is likely he could have rallied his armies and driven off the Space Marine counter-attack. Had he done so, Armageddon would likely have fallen. However, the completion of the siege of Hades Hive had become an obsession. Prophet though he was, in the red haze of battle, Ghazghkull no longer heard any calling save to grind his iron boots upon those who had dared defy him. Finally, Ghazghkull’s own Bullyboyz broke down the last blast door. With the inner gates now open, Ghazghkull threw everything at the hive city, unleashing his final rampage. The Space Marines arrived too late to save Hades Hive, and those inside were massacred nearly to a man. With his numbers depleted and widely scattered, Ghazghkull commanded the last of his reinforcements to besiege Tartarus Hive. The fate of the planet hung in the balance, but the Space Marines were quick to redeploy. A Drop Pod assault struck the Orks even as Gorkanauts and Stompas smashed down the hive’s gates. Blindsided again, the greenskins were pushed back and on the verge of breaking when Ghazghkull arrived. His counter-attack was just beginning to wrest the initiative back when Ghazghkull and his bodyguard disappeared altogether. Rumours that their illustrious Warboss had fallen spread like wildfire amongst the Orks, and they wavered and broke. With this, the Imperium thought they had driven the Orks from Armageddon. It was not so. Many fought their way into the ash wastes and escaped, eventually reaching the depths of the equatorial jungles. Moreover, Ghazghkull was not slain. Some say the hand of Gork reached down to extricate his chosen one. Ghazghkull’s few Ork detractors claimed he had fled, but however it happened, the Warboss escaped off-planet. Visiones del profeta thumb|left|350px|Miniatura de Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka, creada para la Campaña de la Tercera Guerra por Armageddon (3ª Edición). Clarity of vision If the Imperium made one huge mistake following the Second War for Armageddon, it was in not immediately pursuing Ghazghkull with all their strength and available resources. Yarrick recommended hunting him down, but few heeded the battle-proven Commissar. In truth, the Imperium’s High Command on Armageddon presumed that the Ork Warlord that came out of nowhere to ravage their planet either was dead, or, if he had survived the battle, would be a washed-up nothing. He might live for some time as a recluse, but if he attempted to gather more Orks about him he would doubtless be slain as a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth. After losing a major battle, Orks will often depose their failed leader – the first step on the downward spiral to true anarchy. It is true that, early on after his escape, Ghazghkull did have to remind some tribes of his greatness by defeating his challengers in horrific fashion. However, the Warlord regained his followers’ full support not just with his triumphal acts of violence, but through his words. What the Ork gods had revealed to Ghazghkull – or rather, what Ghazghkull said they revealed to him – was that in order to destroy your foe, you must first know him. To the Orks, such an idea was both radical and profound. This meant that, for Ghazghkull, the whole invasion of Armageddon was merely a way to test the waters – an experiment to learn how the Imperium would react against a massive invasion. The swift Space Marine strikes and the grinding attrition of the human warriors had indeed been eye-openers to an Ork from the isolated world of Urk. Now, Ghazghkull had learned what he needed to know about the Imperium’s strategies. It was time to regroup – to gather new armies, to rebuild and restore the Waaagh! until it had strength enough to menace entire star systems. Onwards to golgotha Most of Ghazghkull’s forces had been left behind on Armageddon. Only a core of his most trusted mobs were with Ghazghkull when he landed in the heart of what was notorious Ork territory – the world of Golgotha. In ages past the sub-sector had been heavily colonised by Mankind, but since then it had passed through the grasp of various races until it was ultimately conquered by the Orks. That Waaagh!, however, had run out of impetus long ago – leaving behind many disparate and inter-feuding tribes. Just like on Urk, Ghazghkull began subjugating the greenskins. At first he clubbed bosses and gained new mobs one at a time, but news travels fast when Orks begin to get excited. Whether it was due to the tremendous power of his adamantium-skull headbutts, or the Orkish wisdom he received from his visions from Gork and Mork, soon whole tribes were seeking out this new Warlord. Thus began decades of long rebuilding. Carefully, Ghazghkull balanced marshalling the growing numbers of his army and the exponential Waaagh! energy alongside the need to keep a low profile for the time being. Gork and Mork had advised him that he did not want to draw outside attention upon himself just yet. Never before had a Waaagh!-leader tried to limit the numbers of Orks he attracted, but it was all part of the plan. Before he could take that next step towards ultimate victory, Ghazghkull would need more than just an enormous army: he would need to have his new tactics perfected and his new weapons working properly. He knew that if his influence expanded too quickly, the plan would not yet have grown ripe. Still, Ghazghkull launched raids across Ultima Segmentum and beyond. Some were small, consisting of a few mobs; others were massed assaults capable of overrunning a planet. The attacks hit Imperial outposts or wreaked havoc amongst shipping lanes; the Orks also ventured into Tau space to smash colonies, or attacked other Ork territories. Ghazghkull led some expeditions, while for others he put a new corps of sub-commanders to the test. Beyond the value of plunder or even winning the engagements, the raids were done to train new leaders and test his latest strategies. Tellyporta technology If the Imperium had collected and analysed their scattered data files, they would have been alarmed by how many recorded attacks Ghazghkull, or armies bearing his insignia, had made. From 945 to 996.M41 there was an escalating pattern of violence, with many thousands of raids. But the Imperium was sprawling, bureaucratic, and beset by more obvious threats. Only the aged Yarrick, who had never ceased in his pursuit of his nemesis, still warned about any impending Waaagh! directed by Ghazghkull. En 972.M41, una gran masa de Orkos identificados como el ¡Waaagh! Ghazghkull arrasó el altamente defendido Mundo Agrícola de Chigon 17 en una larga guerra de guerrillas que inutilizó totalmente las defensas imperiales. Una década más tarde, Ghazghkull capturó el Pecio Espacial del Crucero de Batalla Camino Radiante y sus Naves de Escolta desués de una repentina ofensiva llevada a cabo por piratas Orkos. Esta vez, el Imperio respondió con unas represalias a gran escala; pero, al llegar, descubrió que los Orkos ya hacía mucho tiempo que se habían ido. Después de aquello, Ghazghkull se alió con otro infame Kaudillo, Nazdreg Ug Urdgrub, para lanzar un devastador asalto sorpresa contra el planeta Limnos IV. La guarnición imperial fue tomada totalmente por sorpresa, ya que los Orkos emplearon un nuevo ingenio teleportador, hasta el momento desconocido, para trasladar las tropas directamente hasta el planeta desde un Pecio Espacial oculto a una distancia muy lejana. Tan solo gracias a la presencia de los Marines Espaciales de los Capítulos de los Ángeles Oscuros y de los Precursores se evitó que Limnos IV cayera en manos de los Orkos antes de que aparecieran los refuerzos. Ghazghkull fue rechazado de nuevo; pero, después de haber probado y perfeccionado aquel nuevo sistema de teleportación, volvió a fijar su mirada en un viejo conocido. In the year 997.M41 Ghazghkull allied with the most infamous Bad Moon Warlord in many millennia – Nazdreg Ug Urdgrub. The two leaders field-tested innovative ‘tellyporta’ technology – the ability to send mobs of Boyz, vehicles, and ultimately, even the mountainous Gargants from a far distant space hulk down onto a planet. This was tested on the Imperial planet of Piscina IV. Only the Dark Angels saved that world from being overrun, but victory there was not Ghazghkull’s real goal. His preparations were now over – he was ready to unleash his full force upon the Imperium, exercising a plan fifty years in the making... Return to armageddon In light of its importance to the Imperium, Armageddon’s defences were overhauled after Ghazghkull’s first invasion nearly overwhelmed the planet. The star systems surrounding Armageddon were now heavily fortified. New naval stations and orbital defence platforms gave Armageddon a level of protection bettered only by Terra and a few others in the whole of the Imperium. Against the Waaagh! that Ghazghkull unleashed, this didn’t matter. With a grinding inevitability, Ghazghkull’s junk-laden armada ploughed into realspace and advanced. In their wake, they left devastated planets as they steered towards Armageddon. Imperial task forces that sallied out to intervene were swallowed whole, never to return. In rightful panic, the distress call went out – asking for reinforcements before the Orks could reach Armageddon. On the day of the Feast of the Emperor’s Ascension, fifty-seven years to the day after his first invasion, Ghazghkull returned. The orbital battle over Armageddon raged for two fiery nights, but by dawn of the third day the skies were filled with the vapour trails and the incandescent afterblaze of Ork dropships. In a roaring wave behind them came swarms of atmospheric fighter craft and swooping bomber jets. Ghazghkull chose not to fight at Hades Hive, that indomitable high water mark where his last invasion broke itself. This time, there would be no such defiance. In an act of terrible vengeance, giant asteroids aimed by orbiting space hulks smashed the entire hive apart, annihilating its inhabitants and its defenders. This was but a prelude to the bloodshed that would follow. Ground-based defence lasers and missile platforms reaped a horrific toll upon the Orks, filling the sulphur yellow skies with criss-crossing energy beams and blossoming explosions. Yet the greenskins were coming down in such numbers that, already, vast armies were building in the ash wastes. Feral Orks and Kommando teams burst from the equatorial jungles and mountain ranges of Armageddon to join the growing throngs. Quick-hitting strikes by the troops on the ground wrested control of many macro cannons and defence lasers – weapons that were soon turned upon their former owners. Other Orks worked to construct landing strips, allowing Dakkajets and Blitza-Bommerz to refuel and re-enter the fight more quickly. Gradually, the Orks began to dominate the dogfights that had been taking place overhead, and they soon ruled the skies. Anywhere that the Imperial forces gathered to establish a defensive line was subjected to punishing bombardment and strafing runs. Through surging spearheads and the unbridled fury of their attacks, the Orks were gaining the upper hand everywhere. However, at that stage in the battle many Chapters of Space Marines began to arrive. Once again, their rapid assaults threatened to unravel the greenskin advance. Ghazghkull had foreseen this and prepared his own countermeasures. It was betrayal, not battle, that felled the first hive, as Acheron was captured by treachery from within. To aid the wars raging across the ash wastes, Ghazghkull signalled for his next surprise. In orbit high above Armageddon, space hulks and asteroid fortresses jettisoned chunks of themselves to plummet downwards to Armageddon: the Ork Roks were unleashed. Tercera Guerra de Armageddon Blazing new trails Despite more and more Space Marine counter-attacks striking deep into the Ork battlefronts, the Roks and the teleported reinforcements had the Imperium once again back on its heels. Ghazghkull still did not relent – rather, he pressed his advantage. This was the perfect opportunity to unveil another tactic from his long-prepared arsenal of devastation: it was time to cut loose the Speed Freeks. Ork Kults of Speed have been around as long as there have been Orks. These velocity-addicted warriors are extremely mobile – every trooper mounted on some type of Warbike, Warbuggy, or Trukk. While every clan has its speed-crazed Orks, this tendency is most common amongst the Evil Sunz. By their very nature, all Speed Freeks are fast, impulsive and likely to charge at the first opportunity. Only the commanding presence of Ghazghkull – a no-nonsense Goff – had any chance of using such headstrong forces in as controlled a fashion as he did. By Ghazghkull’s orders, the Speed Freeks were held in reserve. It nearly killed them not to be first in battle, but instead to sit, doing nothing but revving their engines and waiting. Patience is not a virtue found amongst Speed Freeks. Yet Ghazghkull had been quite adamant in making his case – making it, in fact, with his adamantium-plated head, by turning the wayward Evil Sunz Warlord, Gurbhag, and his kustom bike into a bloody scrapheap of broken parts. It had been a convincing argument. Only when the special tellyporta-mobs had been sent to punch holes through the enemy lines were the Speed Freeks set loose. Annihilation in the ash wastes Able to exploit the tiniest gaps between battle lines, the Speed Freeks raced off in long columns. Where they needed to widen the path, the Warbikers blazed away with their weaponry – unloading a storm of shot that scythed down Guardsmen in wide arcs of red ruin. Speed Freeks are known to sacrifice armour for speed, but, in true Ork fashion, their bikes and light vehicles never skimp on firepower, bearing more weaponry than any sane creature would expect upon such light frames. Across Armageddon Prime and Secundus, roving bands of Speed Freeks tore over the open plains of ash desert. With names like the Red Wheelz, Burning Death, and the Slasherz, each warhorde of Speed Freeks was made up of dozens of smaller warbands. The clouds of dust they kicked up as they accelerated across the barrens rivalled the toxic outflow of the Gargant Big Mobs, which spewed exhaust fumes that could be seen from outer space.thumb|237px|Legión de Acero combatiendoFocussed on the myriad battles spread across the sprawling continents, few of the Imperial officers had time, or tactical acumen enough, to contemplate the big picture. Most would have denied that the Orks even had a plan – pointing to the scores of assaults scattered across the vast planet, they saw the Orks’ attack more as an anarchic mess than as a planned battlefront. They were mistaken. Ghazghkull orchestrated the fighting on Armageddon, and it was his tactical genius that designed the deadly combination that was winning the war. The scattered Rok landing sites had created strongpoints from which Ork armies gathered, and they also served as homers on which the tellyportas could lock and beam down a steady flow of reinforcements. It was necessary for the Imperium to concentrate their attacks upon these sites, leaving them vulnerable to the lightning assaults of the Speed Freeks. Even as the forces of the Imperium moved to eliminate the threat of the Roks, they found themselves being hunted. Fast and hard-hitting Speed Freek columns wreaked havoc upon the Imperial forces in the open plains, weaving in and out of different formations and launching daring hit and run attacks. Zagboss Skargrim, notorious leader of the Burning Death Speed Freeks, encircled and destroyed entire regiments of Imperial Guardsmen. The Burning Death were well known for their love of fire, and the trapped humans were herded into large groups, setting up massed Skorcha runs that lit up the night skies. Streaking above the ash wastes, air wings of Dakkajet and Burna-bommer skwadrons acted as mobile artillery for the Speed Freeks. A fierce competition between the air and ground forces began, with each side striving to kill their target before the other could join the battle. Many friendly fire incidents were not accidental, but the deliberate results of overly frustrated rivals who arrived on the scene to discover their foes already destroyed. Assault on the hives The Imperium’s focus and counter-attacks were wholly fixated upon the Ork Roks and the Speed Freeks warbands that wove maddeningly out of their reach. At this stage in the battle, Ghazghkull deemed the time was ripe to attack the hive cities. The Warboss personally led the many hordes on their route to attack Hive Infernus. Even as the few Imperial reserves were committed, word came from the sea-port hives of yet more massive Ork attacks there. Mysteriously, Ork Roks had made landings in the Fire Wastes and Dead Lands to the north and south of the main continent of Armageddon. These grim lands had been believed to be uninhabitable, but their value became apparent weeks later when hundreds of tanker-sized Ork submersibles rose from the polluted waters and made landings at Hives Tempestora and Helsreach. Surprise was total, and within days Tempestora fell, although hive gang militia held out long enough at Helsreach for Tempestus Scions and Space Marines to arrive, preventing the Orks from overrunning the other half of the hive. Besieged and bombarded, Tartarus Hive drove off their greenskin attackers, but the victory was a hollow one. The hive was ruined, its great factories torn apart for scrap by industrious Deathskull Scrapmobs. Just south of the Plains of Anthrand, a vital water processing plant known as Ghattana Bay was the site of a battle that escalated to become the largest Dreadnought conflict of the campaign. Large vehicles could not navigate the maze of pipes that made up the vast refinery, and without armour to oppose them, the Dread Mobs were an unstoppable force, able to gun down or smash aside all the human infantry that dared defend those twisted corridors. The Orks were only checked by the arrival of Space Marine Dreadnoughts from no fewer than five different Chapters. Tankbustas and Space Marine Devastators moved into the tangle of pipelines, hoping to shift the balance upon that deadly battlefield. Although the Orks were ultimately forced to withdraw, the damage wrought upon the facility by the greenskins was irreparable, cutting off water to much of Armageddon Prime. Endless war of attrition The size of the escalating war on Armageddon was becoming difficult to imagine. Billions of lives had been lost in the unending battle, so that the very world had become a byword for war and destruction on a massive scale. It was a place where the mightiest war machines in the galaxy clashed and heroes died in droves.thumb|left|400px|Ghazghkull Thraka avanza junto a un variado ejército del Klan Goff.Orks from across the galaxy felt the vibrations of the Waaagh!. Like moths to a flame, the most aggressive greenskins were being drawn toward Armageddon, seeking fame and glory. But the Third War for Armageddon had spread beyond the planet, for the whole sub-sector was rife with Ork raiders. Those worlds left vulnerable by the Imperial commitment to the Armageddon War were now burned themselves. Rumours abounded that Ghazghkull had called the Ragnarork, the Great Waaagh!, the final apocalyptic battle in which the Orks would prove their worth before the eyes of their violent and primitive gods. To counter the Orks, the Imperium had been forced into a total war footing, feeding the meatgrinder with entire planetary populations’ worth of troops. A thousand light year recruitment zone was established around Armageddon. Every Imperial world within that area had their tithe of Imperial Guard regiments tripled and their industry turned over solely to armaments production. Even the Imperial logisticians, themselves numbering more than a large army, could only estimate how many Imperial Guard had taken part in the defence of Armageddon, to say nothing of tracking the wealth of other forces. At the last tally, this included elements of at least twenty-four different Chapters of Adeptus Astartes, several Orders of Adepta Sororitas, and six Titan Legions. Within the sector was the better part of seventeen Imperial fleets. Worst still, those figures were outdated by at least a Terran year, a time period in which the war had only grown larger. The Imperium had always dreaded the unification of so many Ork tribes, and now its worst fears were coming true. Already the wisest of the Imperial leaders faced the grim realisation that it was likely that the industry of Armageddon would soon be ruined beyond repair. The war was now less about saving Armageddon and more about preserving its sub-sector and, most sobering of all, preventing the ever-swelling tide of Orks from growing larger. If the great green menace could not be contained upon Armageddon, then it would sweep outwards and threaten the heart of the Imperium itself – Holy Terra. Although it pained him to leave the largest battle he had ever seen, Ghazghkull knew he had work to do elsewhere. Un Objetivo Mayor (990998.M41) Las visiones de Ghazghkull se hicieron cada vez más frecuentes y su última invasión de Armageddon es buena prueba de ello. Ahora Ghazghkull se ve asaltado por terribles dolores de cabeza y crepitantes luces verdes cuando Gorko y Morko rugen de desagrado en la mente del Zeñor de la Guerra. Dejando a sus generales que dirijan la guerra, Ghazghkull se retira a meditar a su nave de mando, Mataezkombroz. El Zeñor de la Guerra se rodea de una peña de Eztrambótikoz, esperando que los místicos y trastornados pielesverdes puedan ayudarle a interpretar sus visiones. Sin embargo, es el propio Ghazghkull quien finalmente alcanza la inspiración. Para el resto de su raza, una buena pelea como Armageddon es suficiente para satisfacer su sed de sangre, pero solo Ghazghkull puede ver más allá de esto. Poseído por una energía maníaca, ordena súbitamente que Mataezkombroz abandone la órbita. Tras formar una flotilla con las naves Orkas más cercanas, Ghazghkull se dirige al borde del Sistema Armageddon. No tiene idea de lo que está buscando; sólo sabe que no es Armageddon. Una Persecución Implacable (999998.M41) La repentina desaparición de Ghazghkull no pasa desapercibida. Un sinfín de estaciones espaciales en el espacio profundo identifican a la Mataezkombroz abandonando el Sistema Armageddon. Se notifica de ello al Alto Mando y el Comisario Yarrick y el Gran Mariscal Helbrecht de los Templarios Negros son elegidos para darle caza. Estos héroes del Imperio salen de Armageddon unos días más tarde, acompañados de todas las naves de guerra que pueden reunir. El Imperio ya permitió una vez que Ghazghkull escapara y le costó muy caro. Yarrick promete que no volverán a cometer el mismo error. La Bestia a Raya (189999.M41) A pesar de una ventaja inicial considerable, Ghazghkull es alcanzado por sus perseguidores. Las naves de guerra más eficaces y rápidas de la Armada Imperial captura la flota pielverde varias semanas después de haber dejado Armageddon. En una región muerta del espacio conocida como el Golfo Encantado, las naves de Ghazghkull les plantan cara en una última carga desesperada contra los cañones de la Armada Imperial. El vacío se ilumina por los rayos de las lanzas y las andanadas mientras las naves Orkas truenan en medio de sus enemigos, aunque tienen pocas posibilidades. A pesar de que dejan inoperativos varios cruceros imperiales, las naves Orkas son eliminadas una a una. Yarrick y Helbrecht se preparan para abordar el Mataezkombroz y garantizar la desaparición de Ghazghkull de una vez por todas. Sin embargo, cuando se disponen al asalto, la nave se ve envuelta una llamarada de energía verde y desaparece sin dejar rastro. El Gran Objetivo de Ghazghkull (189999.M41) A pesar de que su flota ha sido destruida, Ghazghkull irrumpe en el puente de mando de su nave para aullar unas órdenes. El gran Zeñor de la Guerra está enfurecido, poseído por una visión tan poderosa que unos arcos de rayos verdes lo rodean. Su cerebro se ve abrumado por esta repentina oleada de energía, y los Eztrambótikoz de su séquito se convulsionan y empiezan a aullar y farfullar presos de la locura. A medida que la energía verde crepitante que rodea el cráneo de Ghazghkull se descarga sobre los psíquicos, estos se ven envueltos en llamas verdes, los ojos se les salen de las órbitas y la piel les chisporrotea. Toda esa potencia ectoplásmica emerge de sus bocas y los Eztrambótikoz hablan como uno solo y su voz parece el poderoso rugido de Gorko y Morko, el mismo que Ghazghkull lleva escuchando todos estos meses. Los pielesverdes caen de rodillas cuando los dioses le dicen a Ghazghkull que no ha llegado aún la hora de su muerte. Los dioses le explican que toda la galaxia debe resonar con el rugido del pielverde. Encomiendan a Ghazghkull la tarea de reunir un ¡Waaagh! como ningún otro: el ¡Waaagh! de Gorko y Morko. Para ello, debe derrotar a todos los Zeñores de la Guerra que le salgan al paso, concentrar a todos los pielesverdes bajo su liderazgo y unirlos en una cruzada que sumirá a las estrellas en la guerra. Ghazghkull debe reunir este Gran ¡Waaagh! y, al hacerlo, invocará a Gorko o a Morko para que lideren a los Chikoz en una gloriosa batalla que durará para siempre. Tras entregar su mensaje, los Eztrambótikoz explotan en una lluvia de vísceras y una oleada de energía verde emerge de sus cuerpos arrasando todos los sistemas de la nave de Ghazghkull y dejando inoperativos a sus perseguidores. Mataezkombroz se precipita al Inmaterium, emergiendo en algún lugar (y en algún tiempo) completamente distinto. El Gran ¡Waaagh! (694999.M41) Mataezkombroz emergió de la Disformidad en medio del extenso territorio controlado por el Zeñor de la Guerra Orko [[Urgok el Matador|Urgok el Matador]]. Ghazghkull regresa revitalizado y sus ojos rojos destellan con un nuevo propósito. Mataezkombroz pone rumbo directo hacia la poderosa fortaleza espacial de Urgok. Sabiendo que su única ventaja es la sorpresa, Ghazghkull pone en funcionamiento los Lanzarrayoz Llevalejoz de su nave, transportándose a sí mismo y una peña de sus mejores Noblez en una explosión rugiente de luz, hasta la sala del trono de Urgok. Urgok mira con horror cómo Ghazghkull se deshace de sus guardaespaldas como si fueran Kanijoz ruidosos. Después de pisotea sus cuerpos mutilados y con su akribillador todavía humeante, Ghazghkull alcanza a su rival acobardado y le "invita" a unirse al Gran ¡Waaagh!. La mayoría de los guerreros de Urgok se unen al ¡Waaagh! voluntariamente y los demasiado lentos para percatarse de hacia dónde sopla el viento, son golpeados y sometidos de forma rápida. En pocas semanas, la noticia del nuevo ¡Waaagh! de Ghazghkull se extiende a lo largo y ancho de la galaxia y la leyenda del gran Kaudillo llega a oídos de los pielesverdes a cientos de años luz de distancia, lo que provoca la primera migración Orka en una escala nunca antes vista. Con todo un nuevo ¡Waaagh! a su disposición y Urgok convertido en su lugarteniente, Ghazghkull desvía su atención hacia el sureste galáctico y el Imperio de Octarius. Si toda la galaxia va a verse envuelta en la guerra, Gorko y Morko necesitarán muchos más pielesverdes para su Gran ¡Waaagh! Además, Ghazghkull ha decidido mostrar al gobernante Orko de Octarius el aspecto de un auténtico Diablo Supremo... Tau Base Crushed (704999.M41) Ghazghkull continues with Urgok’s plan to attack a nearby Tau colony on the planet known as Fang’s World. This proves to be another way to further unite Urgok’s army beneath him, and also a chance to see firsthand what these new warriors and leaders in his Waaagh! can do. The red-armoured alien warriors have had much experience fighting Orks, but they are not prepared for the onslaught that erupts when Ghazghkull and his Bullyboyz arrive to tip the balance in favour of the greenskins. Green Amongst the Stars (c.709999.M41) After smashing apart several of the largest red battlesuits of the Tau, Ghazghkull notices something peculiar. He learns that if he concentrates enough after banging his adamantium-reinforced skull, he can better sense concentrations of greenskins. He feels a strong pull towards the regions ruled by the Overfiend of Octarius. Realising that this must be a sign from Gork and Mork themselves, Ghazghkull orders the fleet to leave, although he has no doubt that the Tau will return. He knows that the Orks will too. The Maddest Snakebites Yet (730999.M41) As the fleet prepares to embark upon the mass exodus towards Octarius, Ghazghkull has an inexplicable urge to visit a verdant planet in a nearby star system. This is the jungle world of Kongajaro, home to a great many Snakebite Warclans. Strangely tattooed and bearing unusual piercings, the primal Orks greet Ghazghkull as if he were a god. After a ceremonial beast hunt, the Bearer of Da Great Klub, Chieftain Supreme Grak da Mighty, pledges all his warriors to Waaagh! Ghazghkull. Cyboar Riders, Squiggoths and hordes of Orks with wild squig-hair board the ships of Ghazghkull’s fleet. The Fleet Gets Larger (730999.M41) While en route towards the galactic southeast, the fleet is ambushed in the Black Kraken Nebula by Ork raiders. It is the pirate Kaptin Durg da Redklaw, who has been terrorising the shipping lanes and preying upon passing merchant vessels. The action is close-ranged, for the inky murk is impossible to see through and deadens the readings of the few sensors carried aboard any of the Ork craft. Rams, boarding actions and point-blank firing will decide the outcome. It is at this stage that Redklaw realises whose forces he is fighting and orders a ceasefire. Pleased with the way he fought, Ghazghkull welcomes him to the Waaagh!. The Octarian System Overrun (793999.M41) As they enter the Octarian System, the Orks notice that something isn’t right. It was not uncommon to see debris floating in greenskin territory – but anything that could prove worthwhile as scrap was quickly salvaged. What their fleet passed by now though was like an empty graveyard of broken Ork spacecraft. Many of the ships have had their hulls shattered or melted away as if doused in steel-eating acid. A few floating spore-ships are sighted and many of the Orks who have met Tyranids before advise Ghazghkull about what they are sure to find ahead. Planetstrike Octaria (836999.M41) To reach orbit over the planet of Octaria the Ork fleet is forced to shoot their way through a blockade of bio-ships. Strange purplish clouds cover the orb, as Tyranid spores infest the upper atmosphere. Sending forth his few dropships, Ghazghkull also releases his Roks – scattering them across the mega-continent. He himself joins the battle via tellyporta. The Overfiend Delivered (851999.M41) After much hard fighting, the planet of Octaria is deemed clear of Tyranids. Zog Steeltooth, the Overfiend of Octarius, declares his allegiance to Ghazghkull. Already, Orks from all over the realm and beyond are pouring in, drawn to the massive build-up of Waaagh! energy. Patched Up By Mad Dok Grotsnik (851999.M41) Although he doesn’t show it in front of the Boyz, Ghazghkull’s fight with the Mawloc had come close to finishing him off. He suffered the worst injuries he had sustained since taking a Leman Russ battle cannon round in the midriff. Acid burns had eaten away at his armour, scouring his flesh. Worse still, a large spine of some sort would have to be removed – it had pierced his mega armour and penetrated his body. Harder than bone, the enormous spike will not come out no matter how many Nobz Mad Dok Grotsnik has helping to pull it. In a flash of genius the Dok brings in Orkimedes, who suggests removing the spike via traktor beam. This does not draw out the object, but does vacuum up a good portion of Ghazghkull’s guts temporarily, which have to be hastily reversed before he notices. At long last, with the aid of a buzzsaw and a Deff Dread with magna-claw grips, they manage to removed the enormous spike. To everyone’s amazement Ghazghkull ‘takes it easy’ for at least an hour or two before growling orders in his normal ferocious tone. Later that day, when he headbutts a Squiggoth that will not get out of his way, everyone knows their Warlord is recovered. Galactic Green Wave (852999.M41) It is a dangerous thing for war-crazed Orks to gather in excited frenzy without immediate battle to release their pent-up aggression. So many Orks gather upon Octaria – migrating from all over towards the siren call of Waaagh! Ghazghkull – that they overpower Ghazghkull’s Madboyz Mob with the overflow of psychic energies. In turn, the power-drunk Madboyz vomit forth a great green wave of force that ripples outwards to the far ends of the galaxy and back. This phenomenon registers with every Warp-sensitive soul in the Imperium, echoing in the Immaterium and sending shivers of fear through all who recognise its significance. The largest Waaagh! seen in over eight thousand years of the Imperium’s history is getting bigger. Now that it is growing from different points in the galaxy it is attracting Orks from an unbelievably wide range of territories. The Tyranids Return (865999.M41) Just like Ghazghkull Thraka, the Hive Mind is known for learning from past battles. New tactics and creatures had been evolved and at this time they were unleashed. As the Ork fleet and bio-ships clash in space, the assault rains down upon Octaria. The Tyranid attack waves are of an intensity that has never been seen before. Once more the planet shakes to the sounds of unending battle. Messages to Armageddon (886999.M41) In between leading attacks into the Tyranid masses, Ghazghkull checks on his ladz back on Armageddon. Shifting his mind to the Great Green, Ghazghkull witnesses Zagboss Skargrim carve another notch on the barrel of his Warbike’s dakkaguns to mark another Astra Militarum battalion ridden down and destroyed. In his most threatening voice, Ghazghkull warns Zagboss that it is the Space Marines that he needs to worry about, and if he really wants to earn his favour, he’d better start hunting them. Pleased with the look of awe and admiration on the Evil Sunz Warlord’s face, Ghazghkull briefly visits each of his ruling commanders, dispensing tactical advice, dropping in a few grunts of well-deserved acclaim, and admonishing those that were not driving their troops as hard as they ought. Orkimedes believes he will soon perfect the tellyporta so that Ghazghkull can transport himself all the way back to Armageddon as quick as you could stomp a grot. Naturally, Ghazghkull does not tell any of his subordinates this news. If they thought hearing his voice was awe-inspiring – just wait until he turned up beside them barking orders... Orden de batalla para la Segunda Guerra de Armageddon Though Orks rarely go to the trouble of distinguishing between forces of different sizes, the following are common Imperial designations used when estimating the size and relative threat of greenskin incursions: * Mob: Ork equivalent of a squad. * Warband: many mobs grouped together under the leadership of a Warboss. * Warhorde: many warbands grouped together under the overall leadership of a Warlord. Goff Infantry To any non-greenskin, Ork armies are barbaric and anarchic hordes – a ragtag assembly with no rhyme or reason. Orks are extremely hierarchical, however, and though they may appear to be shambolic hordes, any Waaagh! has a strict ordering and takes on the character of the Ork who leads it. As his Waaagh! has grown so large, Ghazghkull relies upon a hardened core of mobs and warbands. These forces are organised in the way the Great Prophet of Gork and Mork prefers; their leaders have learned to fight using their own aggressive initiative, but also tactics and cunning instilled by their mastermind leader. These are warriors, mobs and formations that draw the most difficult and brutal of tasks, spearheading key assaults or attacking vital positions. Orks of the Goff clan are identified by their preference for black and red wargear, and their symbol, the Horned Bull. Goffs are straightforward and grim; they eschew flashy colours, but do go for bold glyphs and check patterns. Unlike other clans, Goffs take care of the tools of their trade – their weapons. Being a Goff himself, Ghazghkull preferred to use battle-hardened mobs of Goffs whenever he could. DA GOREBOYZ * Ulk (Nob). * 20 Boyz BULZAK’S DESTROYAZ * Bulzak (Warboss). * Bullzeyes (30 Boyz). * Hornhelmz (30 Boyz). * Furk’s Trukk Boyz (10 Boyz in Trukk). * Ripkill (Deff Dread). * Gitstomp (Gorkanaut) GRAND WARLORD GHULG’S WARHORDE * Ghulg (Warboss). * Krim’s Krumpaz (200 infantry). * Bloody Choppaz (150 infantry). * Steelheadz (100 infantry). * Durk’s Dreads (Dread Mob). * Godkrakka (Stompa). Goff Blitzboys Ghazghkull values mobility, so it is no suprise that at the heart of his Waaagh! can be found many Blitz Brigades – motorised columns of Trukks and Battlewagons, each carrying a bloodthirsty mob of Orks. While all the clans are represented, Ghazghkull puts extra stock in those from his own clan, the Goff Blitzboyz. Goff Blitzboyz may not be as fast as the more infamous Speed Freeks of the Evil Sunz, but they pack more of a punch when they hit. Goffs particularly favour Battlewagons with deff rollas or reinforced rams – even more so if those rams are shaped like the classic Goff horn symbol. Their infantry are loaded down with weapons; they have learned to carry extras, as the tuck and roll of rapid deployment and the sheer impetus of their assaults has been known to knock a few loose. GURAT’S MOB * Gurgat (Nob). * 20 Boyz. * Da Meatwagon (Battlewagon). BLACK DEFF BLITZ BRIGADE * Zog Blackclaw (Warboss). * 5 Battlewagons with deff rollas (each with Boyz mob). KRAGRAK’S BLITZDAKKA WARBAND * Kragrak (Warboss). * 2 Trukks (each with Boyz mob). * 3 Battlewagons with deff rollas (each with Boyz mob). * 2 Wartrakks. * 10 Nobz with warbike. * 1 Dakkajet. KROKSNIK’S DEFF TRAKK TRIBE * Kroksnik (Warboss). * 4 Warbands. * 32 Battle Fortresses. Ugrak's uglies Ugrak’s Uglies are part of a battle-hardened and fighty core of Goffs that form the centre of Waaagh! Ghazghkull. Ugrak was a Goff champion who led a Nobz mob on Urk. After a thunderous headbutt from Ghazghkull, he saw the light (many lights, actually) and, when he recovered, Ugrak pledged his red power klaw to the hardest hitting Warlord he had ever met. It was aboard Wurld Killa, after one of the many battles against daemonic attacks, that Ugrak kitted himself and his Nobz mob with mega armour. Having risen in prominence since then, Ugrak now leads an entire Goff warband – da Uglies. They are relentless footslogging infantry, with Boyz and Nobz in ’eavy armour – often much scratched and worn by the rigours of close combat. At various times, Ugrak’s Uglies have acted as Ghazghkull’s personal bodyguard, and they had the honour of leading the spearhead attack that helped break down the final blast door of Hades Hive. Dread Mobz Like a traditional Goff, Ghazghkull places a greater value on brutal close-range violence than the Warlord of any other Ork clan. This being the case, it is no surprise that Waaagh! Ghazghkull attracts the ‘ardest of da ‘ard’. A profusion of Killa Kanz, Deff Dreads and even larger walkers can be found fighting alongside or amidst the Goff infantry. These metal monstrosities clank along amidst the Boyz mobs, greatly augmenting their hitting power. Ghazghkull has learned through experience (if not the whispered leadings of the Gods themselves) to mob his Killa Kans and Deff Dreads together into armoured wedges – smoke-spewing, lurching units that can stomp down enemy hordes or hack through enemy elites. Although Ghazghkull will find a place in his plans for any of these so-called ‘Dread Mobs’, he favours those of his own clan. While it is true that Goffs despise lowly Gretchin, most have learned a grudging respect for those that manage to pilot a Killa Kan. In these hulking metal husks, the Gretchin are not scrawny weaklings, but death-dealing bruisers capable of the Ork ideal: blasting, stomping and mauling foes into an indistinguishable pulpy mass. For this reason, Killa Kanz are readily accepted into Goff warbands as well as the formidable Dread Mobs. Of course, it is possible that many Goff Boyz simply don’t know that there is a grot inside such an excellent killing machine. KRUD’S KANS DREAD MOB * Krud (Big Mek). * Gulgrob (Painboy). * 3 Deff Dreads. * 3 Killa Kan mobs. * 2 Morkanauts. BLACKHORNZ DREAD MOB * Snarga Lugnutz (Big Mek). * Gragrok (Painboy). * 3 Deff Dreads. * 3 Killa Kan mobs. * 2 Gorkanauts. STOMPY DEFF DREAD MOB * Gurk (Big Mek). * Dok Morgrod (Painboy). * 3 Deff Dreads. * 3 Killa Kan mobs. * Gorkanaut. * Morkanaut. Da mangler Who knows what the Gorkanaut named ‘da Mangler’ was called before the Battle of Black Krater during the latter stages of the Third Armageddon War? Whatever it was, that moniker has been long forgotten, replaced with a new title earned in blood and glory. After the blocky metal death machine single-handedly halted a humie counter-attack, it drove into their midst. The awestruck Ork Boyz who followed in its wake were well impressed with the trail of destruction the war engine left behind. They passed flipped-over armoured personnel carriers, their hulls ripped open and the humies inside crushed flat. A swathe of foes lay ripped apart – evidence of the aptly named deffstorm mega-shoota. Closer to hand, entire squads of enemy soldiers lay in ruin, from which the gory trackmarks of the Gorkanaut rolled on. At last catching up to the hard-driving war engine, the Orks witnessed such a display of violence unleashed that day that they stood agog. The Gorkanaut broke through the defensive line, scattering the humie guns and equipment and thrusting its klaw of Gork straight into an Imperial Bunker. The screams of the dying were soon overcome by the chanting praise of the Orks. Cries of ‘Mang-gler, Mang-gler, Mang-gler’ followed the iron-plated beast as it rampaged through the foe. It was the name that would stick and has been chanted on many battlefields since. The pilot of da Mangler is a hulking Nob named Kaptin Grok. In typical Goff fashion, Grok has not let the fact that his Gorkanaut is worshipped as a god go to his head. Instead, he continues to demand the utmost from his krew and reminds the mobs that follow him into battle that ‘Dey ain’t seen nuffink yet.’ Such words might seem like self-aggrandisement to another, more flashy Ork clan, but Grok backs up these sentiments in every battle. When last seen, da Mangler had joined Big Mek Gurk’s Stompy Deff Dread Mob – they were headed off to rack up tank kills on the ash wastes. Orden de batalla para la Tercera Guerra de Armageddon Speed freeks Speed Freeks are groups of Orks addicted to speed. When they go to war, Speed Freeks do so mounted atop Warbikes, Warbuggies, Trukks or anything that can get them to the battle fast. During his second invasion of Armageddon, Ghazghkull marshalled and released his Speed Freeks to create maximum havoc amongst his foes. Whether deployed in mobs, warbands or even larger formations, Speed Freeks combine quick mobility with hard-hitting offensive capabilities. SPEEDBOYZ * Badzag (Warboss on warbike). * Badzag’s Riderz (6 Nobz on warbikes). * Red Deff (10 Warbikers). FASTSUNZ * Sneg Bloodsplat (Warboss). * Red Raiderz (15 Warbikers). * Fug’s Riderz (10 Warbikers). * Thwoppa Deff (2 Deffkoptas). * Axl’s Boyz (10 Boyz in Trukk). * Zagnut’s Hunta (Dakkajet). GRAND WALORD GURTAK’S GO FASTA WARHORDE * Grand Warlord Gurtak (Warboss). * 18 Kult of Speed warbands. Kommando raiderz Although he is a Goff, unlike most hidebound Waaagh!-leaders, Ghazghkull’s true genius is that he has embraced all aspects of greenskin warfare. This may be due to the divine touch of Gork and Mork, or simply proof that he is the most tactically-minded Ork of all time. Kommandos are hand-picked troops that range ahead of the main hordes, scouting out enemy positions or performing daring raids behind enemy lines. They are typically deployed in formations of one or two mobs, but Ghazghkull has been known to mass even more for such missions as destroying supply dumps, breaking into hive cities or dismantling enemy artillery. Kommandos are almost exclusive to the Blood Axes Clan – those sneaky, ’umie-loving Orks that favour camouflage and elaborate strategic plans. Kommandos work well in Goff warbands, as they have great respect for fighting skill and discipline. The Flashblades, the blue and white checked warriors of Dazkrit’s Killaz, and the tiger-striped Bloodfangz have all earned a fearsome reputation fighting for Waaagh! Ghazghkull. Of all the Kommando mobs Ghazghkull ever employed, none have garnered more fame than Boss Snikrot and his Red Skull Kommandos. To this day, they still haunt the shadows of Armageddon. BULRAG’S FIGHTIN’ FIFTH * Bulrag (Boss Nob). * 4 Kommandos. Kragga’s Kamo-Boyz * 2 Kommando mobs. * 1 Deff Dread. RED SKULL KOMMANDOS * Boss Snikrot. * 4 Kommando mobs. Heavy Huntaz On the ash wastes of Armageddon, Ghazghkull found his mobile Blitz Brigades and even his Stompa Mobs were being hunted by fast-moving Imperial Sentinels, or stalled by mobile counter-attacks from mechanised Guardsmen. To combat these enemies without slowing down the main thrust of his advances, Ghazghkull ordered his flanks protected by mobs of Trukk- and Battlewagon-mounted Heavy Huntaz, their firepower augmented with a few rokkit-armed Warbuggies. Most of these mobs were small in size, allowing them to respond quickly to different threats to the main armies’ flanks. Upon sighting their foes, the transports would peel off and the troops within would deploy at breakneck speeds – Tankbustas mobs or Lootas soon tracking the Imperial light vehicles. Almost before their feet touched the ground, the Tankbustas would launch a barrage of rokkits towards their foe, easily ripping apart the enemies’ light walkers or transport vehicles. Although Lootas needed to plant their feet before firing, the first salvo of shots from their deffguns could rake through whole Sentinel squadrons, cutting off their long gangly legs or, better yet, exploding them into fireballs. Such countermeasures proved extremely effective, and soon more and more light detachments of Heavy Huntaz mobs secured the flanks of all larger warhordes. RED ROKKITS HEAVY HUNTAZ * 1 Tankbustas mob in Battlewagon. * 1 mob of Lootas in Trukk. DREGTOOF’S HEAVY HUNTAZ * Dregtoof (Warboss). * 2 Tankbustas mobs in Trukks. * 1 mob of Lootas in Battlewagon. * 2 Warbuggies. Tellyporta mobs Ghazghkull first used tellyporta technology after his alliance with Nazdreg. Later perfected by the mad Mek known as Orkimedes, the tellyporta was a key part of Ghazghkull’s second invasion of Armageddon. Ultimately, all sorts of troops and equipment would be teleported onto the planet, but the first and foremost were carefully chosen Tellyporta Mobs. It was their duty to strike fast and hard, driving foes away from the Roks’ homing signals. Nobz in mega armour were almost always included in the first wave of troops arriving via tellyporta. Heavily armoured, these powerhouses would materialise with guns blazing – often using their kombi-weapons to ensure that their first volley packed the deadliest punch possible. After dousing the target with a good spray of shoota fire, the Meganobz would wade into combat, hacking down any who dared stand their ground. It was Ghazghkull’s intention to use his tellyporta mobs to counter the Space Marine offensives which had blighted his first campaign at Armageddon. Indeed, some of his mobs were designated Marine-killas – their troops outfitted with twin killsaws or special one-shot rokkits to aid in defeating the Space Marines' power armour. KRIGG’S BIGSNIKKAZ * Krigg (Warboss in mega armour). * 1 Meganobz mob. GHAZGHKULL’S BULLBOYZ * Ugrak (Warboss). * Ugrak’s Uglies (Meganobz mob). * Red Horns (Meganobz mob). * Black Horns (Meganobz mob). Stormboyz Ghazghkull likes to hit his foes hard and fast and few other troops are as brutally effective at this type of lightning warfare as Stormboyz. In Waaagh! Ghazghkull, mobs of Stormboyz are a common feature in many Ork warbands. Their military-minded way of thinking fits in perfectly with those in the Goff clan. Stormboyz use their rokkit packs to launch swift strikes against their enemies – either assaulting key objectives, taking out vulnerable foes, or, at the least, causing a nuisance that allows the rest of the mobs to move up in range to swing their choppas. After claiming to see visions of Gork’s anger descending like a bolt from the skies, Ghazghkull had the bright idea to mass his Stormboyz. He first attempted this with some success during the later stages of the Second War for Armageddon, and since then it has become a proven part of his assault plans. There are few shock assaults more devastating than many mobs of Stormboyz hurtling out of the skies all at once. Without exception, these Stormboyz squads aspire to live long enough to make as big a name for themselves as the infamous Zagstruk and his Vulcha Skwad. It is not unusual for Stormboyz in Waaagh! Ghazghkull to bear the extra black and white checks associated with Goff mobs or a variant of Ghazghkull’s personal symbol – perhaps emblazoned with rokkit fuel or marked by lightning bolts. The Choppa Storm have even developed a rude militaristic marching song which they bellow as they descend to battle, although mercifully the words are typically drowned out by the roar of their rokkit packs. KROOGA’S AIRBOYZ * Krooga (Boss Nob). * 14 Stormboyz. CHOPPA STORM * Tora (Boss Nob). * Tora’s Terraz (Stormboyz mob). * Gerruff’s Jumpboyz (Stormboyz mob). * Deffrokkits (Stormboyz mob). Orden de batalla del Gran ¡Waaagh! Battle-scarred and grim, only the hardest of the hard have what it takes to join the Goff Guard. Some of the Orks in Da Goff Guard came from Urk and have stuck by their Warlord through all his many travels. Wherever Ghazghkull can be found, it’s rare if Da Goff Guard aren’t close to hand. Rightfully proud to be associated with ‘da Greatest Greenskin ta live n’ breathe’, there are a profusion of back banners, Goff symbols and the Ghazghkull horn-silhouettes amongst Da Goff Guard. Da Goff Guard Where Ghazghkull leads, da Goff Guard follow. When Ghazghkull smashed down the final blast door and charged the last defences of Hades Hive, it was the Goff Guard that followed. When the Prophet of Gork and Mork cut deep into the Tyranids on Octaria, it was the black armoured might of the Goff Guard that chopped their way behind him. During his first invasion of Armageddon the Goff Guard took so many banners and aquila-topped standards from the Astra Militarum and Adeptus Astartes that they piled them and made a bonfire visible from orbit – that last bit may be a tall tale they spread around the camps, but who is going to dispute the biggest and baddest Orks who also happen to have the favour of the mightiest of them all – Ghazghkull himself? ’ARDSHELLS * Gurk (Nob). * 30 Boyz in ’eavy armour. URK’S OWN * 10 Meganobz with bosspoles. GHAZGHKULL’S HEAD-BASHAS * Ugrak, Durg Redklaw, Surk, da Mighty Bulg, Urgok da Slayer (5 Warbosses). * 3 Nobz mobs. * 3 Meganobz mobs. * Stompa Mob. * Dread Mob. BLACK THUNDA * Ghazghkull’s Super-’eavy Battlewagon. KULG’S KRUSHAS * 4 warbands. * 4 Gorkanauts. Grotsnick's minderz There are few Orks more crazed than Mad Dok Grotsnik. At times he is filled with manic glee, while at others he can be quite sullen. Despite his erratic behaviour, the Mad Dok has proven able to perform life-sustaining operations upon Ghazghkull more than a few times and the Prophet of Gork and Mork likes to keep Grotsnik near to hand. To keep the wayward Painboy from too much harm, he is often assigned a bodyguard. These used to be Deathskull Orks, as being amongst his own kind had a soothing effect, but that is seldom now the case. During the second invasion of Armageddon Ghazghkull caught the unscrupulous Deathskulls trading the Dok’s supplies and gear for teef. The Warlord has since assigned Mad Dok Grotsnik some of his own bodyguards when they can be spared – an especially large mob of Goff Meganobz. GROTSNIK’S MINDERZ * Org (Boss Nob). * 15 Meganobz. Bigdakka Batteries Using Deffkoptas or Warbiker mobs, Ghazghkull herded swarms of Tyranids straight into predetermined kill zones. Bigdakka Batteries lay down a ferocious bombardment, and any creatures that weathered this storm of shells and energy blasts were soon finished off by Lootas, shoota mobs and Morkanauts stationed around the batteries themselves. Orks greatly enjoy killing and bragging, but aren’t as proficient at counting. Thus, kill markings – the practice of scratching marks on wargear to denote slain foes – are popular amongst all greenskins. Goffs are particularly fond of keeping tallies of how many foes they kill. On many Goff kannon barrels can be found kill rings – concentric rings to mark each worthy foe slain – often enemy armour, enormous creatures and so on. Other popular methods include kill checks, or hash marks. Kill dags are more popular with Snakebites and Evil Sunz. BIGDAKKA BATTERY * 3 Mek Gunz. * Boyz mob with shootas. BIGDAKKA BIGGA BATTERY * 6 Mek Gunz. * 2 Boyz mobs with shootas. * 1 Morkanaut. THUNDA BATTERY * 3 Mek Gunz. * 2 Boyz mobs with shootas. * 2 mobs of Lootas. * 1 Morkanaut. * 1 Big Mek Stompa. Gorkanaut big mob In the fight against the Tyranids, Ghazghkull and his lieutenants formed specific warbands of their larger armoured walkers. These were tasked with countering the largest and best armoured of their Tyranid foes. KRUMPA’S BIGSPLATTA BIG MOB * 3 Gorkanauts. GORK’S MAUL Krumpa’s Bigsplatta Mob was formed on Octaria – a metal death-spitting spearhead that was to be thrust straight into the living tide of Tyranid creatures. In the beginning, each of the trio of Gorkanauts vied for the enviable position of the Big Mob’s leader. If there had been time, each of the Nob pilot-kaptins would have simply slugged it out to determine the rightful leader, but as the chittering carpet of scythe-armed aliens was closing, the Orks decided to ‘mount up’ and let their actions in battle determine who would be the biggest boss of the mob. Led by Kaptin Krumpa, the Gorkanaut known as Gork’s Maul, or sometimes just ‘da Great Maul’ already had a deadly reputation. Gork’s Maul had once used its klaw to smash a Warhound Titan to the ground. Unable to return to its feet, the Imperial war machine had been pulled apart piece by piece, each great chunk hurled hundreds of feet to the delight of the cheering mobs. Against the Tyranid swarms, Gork’s Maul was a walking slaughterhouse – wading through the foe with its guns blazing, ploughing a furrow of gore that impressed Krumpa’s new mob-mates. After the battle’s finale, the trio of kaptins still met for a brawl, with Krumpa earning his leader’s rights in the traditional fashion as well. FIST OF DEFF The Gorkanaut known as the Fist of Deff is the epitome of close-ranged brutality. Its kaptin-pilot, Dedeye Drak is a notoriously poor marksman – being called ‘dedeye’ not because of accuracy, but because of a horrible scar that gouged his left eye so that he cannot see out of it whatsoever. He is a gruesome, hulking Nob with one eye that has rolled over, showing an unnatural pale white colour. However, what Dedeye lacks in vision, he more than makes up for in sheer belligerence. It was the Fist of Deff that pulped a Tervigon with a single blow of its mighty klaw on Octaria. RED JAW Piloted by Kaptin Zolg Bigfang, the Gorkanaut Red Jaw is the least proven of Krumpa’s Bigsplatta Mob. Only recently cobbled together, the Big Mek who built Red Jaw did so using iron plates salvaged from the crashed remnants of an Ork ship savaged by a tentacled bio-ship. Although the addled Mek could not ascertain for certain, it is believed that much of the body armour of Red Jaw came from the reinforced hull of a Brute Ram Ship. This would, perhaps, explain the Gorkanaut’s ability to simply shrug off what should be crippling incoming fire. Once, while it was smashing the lesser Tyranid creatures, a Tyrannofex levelled its powerful gun onto Red Jaw, hitting the Ork walker three times in the chest to no avail. The beast’s chitinous plates could not say the same after Red Jaw unleashed the full might of its deffstorm mega-shoota, followed by a blow of its klaw of Gork to finish it off. Curiosidades Andy Chambers reveló que el origen del nombre de Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka se encuentra en las partidas de rol en vivo que jugaba con sus amigos. En ellas solían aparecer muchos monstruos, sobre todo orcos, de forma que desarrollaron un idioma orco básico basado en las palabras de la Lengua Negra que aparecían en El Señor de los Anillos, para así poder hacer que los orcos hablasen entre sí sin ser entendidos por los aventureros. De este modo, Mag Uruk Thraka significa "Gran Líder Orco", y Ghazghkull, "cráneo de metal". Citas Fuentes Extraído y traducido parcialmente de Wikihammer 40K UK. * 'Ere We Go (1ª Edición). * Epic: Armageddon. * Codex: Armageddon (3ª Edición). * Codex: Orkos (Ediciones 3ª, 4ª y 7ª). * Suplemento Orkos: ¡Waaagh! Ghazghkull (7ª Edición). * Codex: Guardia Imperial (5ª Edición). * Reglamento Warhammer: 40,000 (6ª Edición). * White Dwarf Nº 134, 152, 176, 227 (Edición estadounidense), 248, 249 (Edición australiana). * Facebook - Captura del comentario explicativo de Andy Chambers (link activo: 18-4-2013). Categoría:Milenios Oscuros tras la Herejía Categoría:Personajes Orkos Categoría:Armageddon